Dolly Smith Nelson, 93, Albert Lea

Published 12:00 am Tuesday, March 18, 2003

The funeral service for Dolly Smith Nelson, of St. John’s Lutheran Home, Albert Lea, will be held at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 19, at the Calvary Baptist Church in Albert Lea. The Rev. Doug Smither will officiate. Interment will be in Hilllcrest Cemetery. Visitation will be one hour before services at the church. Bonnerup Funeral Service is assisting the family with arrangements.

Dolly died on Sunday, March 16, 2003, at the Albert Lea Medical Center. She was 93.

She was born on July 31, 1909, in Martin County, Minn., the daughter of Arthur and Myrtle (Toothaker) Greeley. She attended school in Northrup and graduated from Truman High School.

Email newsletter signup

On Jan. 19, 1927, Dolly married Virgil Smith. They made their home in Albert Lea and later moved to Belmond, Iowa, where they owned and operated a grocery and locker plant. They returned to Albert Lea, where they bought and operated Fountain Street Grocery. Virgil died in 1952. Dolly sold the grocery and worked for J.C. Penney for a short time.

In 1960 she married Elmer Nelson. Elmer died in 1970.

Dolly had been an active member of Calvary Baptist most of her life. She loved to sew and paint and was a talented artist. She was a loving wife, mother, grandmother and sister.

Dolly will be lovingly missed by her son, Bradford Smith and his wife Arlene of St. Cloud; daughter-in-law, JoAnn Smith of Hollandale; grandchildren: Susan Tostevin of Minneapolis, Dyan Brown of Texas, Randy Smith of St. Cloud, Rebecca Bass and her husband Joe of Mason City, Iowa, Daniel Smith of Albert Lea, and David Smith of Hollandale; three great-grandchildren; brother, Roscoe Greeley of Arizona; two sisters: Laura Madson of Albert Lea, and Helen Anderson of Iowa; and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husbands: Virgil Smith and Elmer Nelson; her son, Terry, in November of 2002; two sisters: Gladys Johnson and Pearl Benson; and six brothers: Rollo, Harold, Allen, Donald, Kenneth and Merwin Greeley.

Blessed be her memory.